Arsenal in pole position to sign Juventus midfielder
Aug 13, 2016 at 3:15 PM
According to the reports in Italy, Arsenal have offered Juventus €16m for Mario Lemina. The 22-year old has been linked with Arsenal earlier in the year.
Lemina is a defensive midfielder which could seem a little odd for Arsenal having already brought Granit Xhaka earlier this summer and having enough options at the position.
But the Gabon international is a versatile player who could play as a central defender as well as a full back. Considering the fact that Per Mertesacker ruled out of the current year and Carl Jenkinson not being available till November and Mathieu Debuchy looking for a new club altogether, signing Lemina would provide Arsene Wenger much needed depth in the squad.
Lemina was signed by Juventus for £8.08m earlier this summer after the player spent a season on loan from Marseille at Turin. He made a good impression in the numerous opportunities he got during last season.
According to Calciomercato, Juventus has turned down the €16m offer they have made for the 22-year old as the Old Lady are looking for a fee around €20m to let the player leave. Lemina has a contract with Juventus till 2020 and Gunners are keen to negotiate the deal for the much lesser price.
German club Schalke are also reportedly monitoring the situation as they are also interested in signing the versatile midfielder.